The Official Site of Brandon Roy

Tue, Oct 13th 2009, 11:15

Roy looks to be more vocal about desire to join Team USA

Flowers?

Candy?

Singing telegram?

“Maybe,” Brandon Roy said, “I’ll just send them something saying, ‘I appreciate you guys considering me and I would like to be a part of it.’ “

Something. Anything.

The Trail Blazers All-Star guard, once among the logical additions to the next Dream Team, has increasingly distanced himself from consideration with a lack of communication that threatens a potential roster spot for the 2010 world championships in Turkey and the 2012 Olympics in London, people close to the situation report.

Roy is the first to say he needs to reach out to USA Basketball officials to let them know he is interested in playing — even if that message is accompanied by the potential deal-breaker that he won’t commit to tournaments so far in the future. That’s how tenuous the surprising disconnect has become: He can easily move back into prime consideration with as little as a conversation, but being left out becomes an increasing possibility with each month that passes without contact and now there is the chance Roy won’t sign up anyway because of the time involved.

Roy declined invitations to join the Select Team, the feeder club of young NBA players, the last two summers, opting to rest a knee injury in 2008 rather than practice against the Beijing-bound Dream Team and in ’09 preferring to focus on a contract extension instead of participating in a mini-camp.

When he did not attend this offseason, if only to watch or attend meetings to be involved with the program without risking injury, it struck a particularly bad chord with the program. When he did not express a desire in the ensuing months to still be considered for a future role, it officially became an issue for Roy to fix.

“It’s unfortunate Brandon Roy has not been able to participate because of a series of injuries, contract issues, whatever,” a USA Basketball insider said. “But it’s difficult to break in unless there’s communication and a level of interest.”

“It’s on me,” Roy said in response. “I don’t blame them at all. I think it’s something I have to at least call and say that whenever the next team event is, I want to be there. I think that’s what they want to see out of me. I totally understand and I agree with what they’re saying. I have to kind of take that next step to show them I want to be a part of the team.”

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